3D object (extruded shape) only appears as lines in "Top/Plan"

[brettSF]

Title says it all. I've created a few countertops by creating an outline and then using the Push/Pull to create a solid surface.

 

• Current View is set to "Top/Plan"
• Visualization Style is set to "Wireframe", however... Wireframe doesn't necessarily always make objects appear as lines. For example:
• My walls are set to show a gray fill, and are displaying correctly
• I can create a shape and assign it a fill, and it will display with the selected fill color

 

So my question is -- why does a 3D object with an assigned fill color only show up as linework?

[PVA - Admin]

Yes, Extrudes are 3d-only objects, they are not hybrid objects that have a 2D and a 3D appearance like Doors, Windows and Walls. You can however create the 2D geometry you want to use for the countertops, select the 2D and 3D components, then use Modify > Create Symbol to create your own custom hybrids if you like.

[brettSF]

Great, thanks Jim! Still learning... =)

[michaelk]

For countertops a lot of people like using Floor Objects.  

 

Draw the 2D shape > AEC > Floor Objects… then set the height to the bottom of the countertop and the thickness of the countertop.

 

The advantages are:

1.   Countertop appears solid in 2D

2.   Add / Subtract Surface commands still work on Floor objects.

3.  You can still give the top and sides different textures if you need to.

 

hth

 

mk

[cberg]

Jim,

I've always wondered why extrudes are 3d only objects.  They are kind of fundamental to working in 3d. 

 

Is it because they are used as modifiers for other types of 2d - 3d objects? Or is it because the tool is very old and it hasn't been updated in a while?

 

Or do you feel like these functions are better represented elsewhere in the program?

cb

 

 

[PVA - Admin]

I suspect the main reason is their age, yes, they have not had any serious reworking in a long time.

 

I feel they should be enhanced to behave similarly to Slabs or AutoHybrids, where it attempts to generate a 2D representation automatically. To keep with legacy workflows this appearance should be controllable per-extrude, something simple like:

 

Display:
2D + 3D
3D Only

[zoomer]

Hear my voice :

Extrudes are the most underestimated and most important 3D Tool in VW's Toolkit.

 

If these get a fill in top plan view - please as an option.

 

- Extrudes are used everywhere, internally in plugin objects.

- Extrudes can have multiple Materials Top/Bottom/Sides

- multiple Extrudes can be edited at one time by OIP

- Extrudes can have a Z Base Height

- Extrudes can contain more than one 2D Object (I call these complex Extrudes)

- such a complex Extrude will export as a single Mesh Object by C4D or FBX and keeps complexity down.

- Extrudes are easy to create in 3D views by their Push/Pull Option

(Unfortunately you need CMD+E when in a top view)

- Extrudes can be edited graphically by Drag Tool

(Why not by 3D Modify ???)

 

All what you miss for true Solids.

As there is no real "Box" Tool anyway beside the legacy Tools which don't do what you need.

 

Only hick ups are the wrong face orientation of the original 2D Face when exported.

(So also all Windows/Doors/Stairs/Slabs/... infected)

and, problems from these having own internal coordinate systems like Symbols.

(Which prevent from proper Paste-in-Place options or Clip Cube Usage when moved or rotated) 

 

 

As an example,

if you use "complex" Extrudes, to create one single Extrude from all your Columns 2D geometry of one Story :

- You can easily edit their Z-Height graphically by Drag Tool, or multiple by OIP to adapt to Story height changes.

- You can go into Extrudes Edit Mode and have the whole comfortable 2D Modifying Options to adapt all Profiles

at one time, including the 2D Center Options to control from which Origin to expand/shrink from.

- Beside the Problem with Extrudes internal Origin, most time you can adapt 2D Geometry in one Extrude

of one Story and exchange /refresh the geometry of all other Stories similar Extrudes fast by copy+paste i.P.

 

Beside potential File Size Issues, these complex Extrudes are even more comfortable and powerful than Symbol usage.

 

Edited December 8, 2016 by zoomer

[Markvl]

Wish list this.  I would support this.  That an extrude will automatically create a 2D part that will show in top/plan view.

[P Retondo]

I agree that extrudes are the fundamental VW 3d object, and it would be great if one could assign a fill to extrude surfaces, especially so they can be seen in Top/Plan like many other objects.

 

While we are wishing, I would like the 2d "primitives" of extrudes to be more context-sensitive so that they can be edited more powerfully.  Specifically, when entering an extrude edit space the 2d object should present itself in "screen orientation" instead of, sometimes, from the sides, regardless of the current view orientation.  Also, if the viewpoint is aligned to the extrude's original working plane orientation, the 2d primitive should be presented in exact relation to the objects around it, instead of some arbitrary location that is no longer relevant if the extrude has been moved, mirrored, etc.  This would allow us to edit the primitive accurately in relation to surrounding objects.  Say a contiguous object has been reshaped, and we want to edit the extrude to still be contiguous.

[RussU]

On 07/12/2016 at 6:40 PM, brettSF said:

Title says it all. I've created a few countertops by creating an outline and then using the Push/Pull to create a solid surface.

 

• Current View is set to "Top/Plan"
• Visualization Style is set to "Wireframe", however... Wireframe doesn't necessarily always make objects appear as lines. For example:
• My walls are set to show a gray fill, and are displaying correctly
• I can create a shape and assign it a fill, and it will display with the selected fill color

 

So my question is -- why does a 3D object with an assigned fill color only show up as linework?

I raised a similar issue a little while ago, where the source geometry becomes faceted in viewports. Would really like it to be intelligent enough to draw the source polys instead of the low/medium/high 3D interpretations of them.

 

makes dimensioning holes very tricky, as you need to overlay the vp with circles and the like to use radius dims and centre lines.

 

+1 on making extrudes more clever

[Matt Overton]

2 hours ago, RussU said:

I raised a similar issue a little while ago, where the source geometry becomes faceted in viewports. Would really like it to be intelligent enough to draw the source polys instead of the low/medium/high 3D interpretations of them.

 

makes dimensioning holes very tricky, as you need to overlay the vp with circles and the like to use radius dims and centre lines.

 

+1 on making extrudes more clever

 

I was modeling in a box gutter then turning it in to a auto hybrid the other day and while it was an improvement it also felt like it could be so much better along the line of this discussion. I think 60% of my frustration with BIMish workflows is I have to model thinks from a plan perspective to get the section view I want that could indeed by more easily defined in section to get the plan/3d we want. The next 20% is defining things in model and not being able to get any representation out of that modeling at all but that is for another discussion.

 

So basically yes a sketch / primitive hybrid object so we can draw the drafted representation on any plane we deem most important then push/pull out to length or better still along a path and the Auto Hybrid system takes care of other planes and 3D would be a very welcome improvement. 

 

[PVA - Admin]

Request submitted: VE-97175

[Andrew Mac]

Every time I make an extrude, I the object becomes see through.  Is it possible to make this extrude solid?  with a solid fill?

[Pat Stanford]

Extrudes and other 3D objects always appear as wireframe in Top/Plan view. If you need a filled object in Top/Plan, you need to choose a hybrid object (probably a Slab to simulate the extrude).

 

The 3D objects will show as filled in any view other than Top/Plan when the drawing is rendered.

[CipesDesign]

What about the creation of Extrudes that are extruded in views other than Top or Top/Plan. EG: the profile of a rafter (or roof truss) that becomes the 3d rafter. A very powerful feature! I'm not sure (I'll need to think about it) if I want those to have solid fill in their primal view. However I would want to see solid fill for rafters in Top/Plan view, even it they were created by extruding from a Front or Side view. Interesting.

[Marshallae]

On 12/13/2016 at 3:56 PM, PVA - Jim said:

Request submitted: VE-97175

 

I take this request was never fulfilled? I'm also wanting to see rendered 3D objects in top plan level with a solid fill but can't find any way of doing it. Highly frustrating.

[Pat Stanford]

Extrudes do not have this ability.

 

You can use Roof Faces, Slabs, Floors objects which to offer a filled Top/Plan view.

 

Or you can convert your Extrude to an Auto Hybrid object (AEC Menu in the Designer workspace, Create Auto Hybrid) to provide the Filled Top/Plan view. You can enter the Auto Hybrid the same way you enter a group or symbol to edit it and the Top/Plan view is automatically regenerated based on the changes you make to the 3D (Layer Plane or 3D Plane) parts of the object.

[Vitute]

This wish is till on a list.... why?....  😭 In the world when efficacy is a key. Every additional little step, every fraction of a second accumulates into waisting of time.

Ok, let's take only one step converting into auto hybrid, but then it does not show all (see picture below). ALSO it adds more steps, because it does not allow quickly change something, tweak it a bit, push/pull somewhere. Why.... this limitation is not taking seriously yet?

 

 

[Tom W.]

17 minutes ago, Vitute said:

converting into auto hybrid, but then it does not show all (see picture below).

 

It will display as you want in Top/Plan if you set the cut plane above the object or you enable 'Display Extents Above Cut Plane'.